Bipolar and pregnant

I am Bipolar and pregnant. I found out a few weeks ago. I also found out that I cannot take my mood stabilizers and other meds. My bf told me I need to get off them. I did decide to quit taking them but I am terrified of having another psychotic break. I got an appointment with my doctor because I missed my appt back in Oct. Now I am terrified if I feel like I might get close to another one I will admit myself. Not ######6 worth it. I am dealing with alot of stress and I cannot risk another one.

Hi maskedsanity,
You are really going through a tough dilemma, is how I see it. I am glad you are seeing your doctor soon. They can speak to you from a professional point of view. How are you doing now? What have they told you so far (the pdoc)?

I was going into a psychotic episode as I was getting closer and closer to my due date with my third baby. I became delusional and psychotic during the time I gave birth and afterwards. I had hallucinations and would see my dreams when I woke up. So I felt afraid to sleep. I went from mania to depression and psychosis in between. Very unwell. Please seek help. You need to take good care of yourself. I got on some antidepressant because they thought I had postpartum depression but what I actually had was postpartum psychosis. Very scary. I stopped taking the antidepressant right away and suffered so much. Let us know how you are doing. I hope other moms here can share a few words to help you through this.

Hi maskedsanity,

How are you?

eterea

maskedsanity wrote:I am Bipolar and pregnant...

Bless you and the baby! So much hope and joy. But also fear and anxiety, lifestyle changes, hormonal changes, new responsibilities... Easy to understand how it can be overwhelming for any couple going through it. Being bipolar adds it's own challenges.

Here's my advice. It is from the heart and based on my experience as a bipolar father of 2 boys who didn't get everything perfect. Nobody does. Glean from it what seems right to you and dismiss anything that doesn't seem to fit.

Get good advice from your Professional Care Team and follow it... Your personal doctor will look after the pregnancy and psychiatrist will look after your mental health. Make sure they are communicating. Take prenatal classes and get into groups with new mothers to be. It will all help you through the pregnancy and becoming a family. Involve your partner where possible in the group stuff. The prenatal classes were very informative and being with other pregnant couples experiencing the same stuff helped me.

Build a support network with friends and family... Everybody loves a baby. They want to help out.

Talk to your partner and psychiatrist about a crisis plan... Who to call, when to call, Special needs... Safety and what is best for you and the baby is the one and only objective. Everybody wants that.

Creating new life and becoming a family is perhaps the greatest experience in life. It is also full of challenges but that is what makes it so special.

Keep us posted. I'd love to be with you through it, even if only on the forum.